Winter Refugee Drive

As the holiday season sets in, our Waukee community is coming together to support one another. With the help of FBLA and International Club, the Winter Refugee Drive is in full swing. Usually, the Winter Refugee Drive is organized by the International Club, but this year they decided to partner with the FBLA. “We realized the International Club was doing something similar, so we partnered with them to support the Des Moines Refugee Support.” Stated the president of FBLA, Sargun Kaur. 

The drive has become a much-anticipated event, with the community coming together to show compassion. The donation process is simple and efficient, designed to make it easy for anyone to contribute. There is a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments near the main office; those ornaments feature “wishes” for items needed by refugee families. Each ornament lists an item such as coats, gloves, toys, or any type of winter gear. Anyone interested in donating can take an ornament, retrieve the item, and drop it off at the main office. The collected items will be delivered on December 7th as part of the Des Moines Refugee Support’s annual “Santa’s Ride” event, where they will be distributed to families in need.

“The response from students and staff has been incredible this year,” said Paxton, a junior and member of the International Club. “We’ve already received quite a few donations, which is amazing. I think everyone is responding more positively this year compared to previous years.” Paxton went on to explain that the main focus of the drive is to support refugees in the community, ensuring they have all the proper gear during the holiday season. “The most important thing to us is to do what we can to provide for refugees in our community during this time of year,” he added.

The Winter Refugee Drive is just one example of how the school community comes together to make a difference. “We hope to collect as many donations as possible, and just make some people happier, no matter how little we are able to give.” said senior Mais Homedan. If you’re interested in donating, please retrieve an ornament from the tree before December 7th and drop off your item in the main office. Let’s make this winter a little easier for the community!